PSG are still locked in contract negotiations with Kylian Mbappe, with the French sensation having entered the final year of his Parc des Princes deal. The Ligue 1 giants are keen on securing an extension before the current transfer window ends but all their attempts have been to no avail so far.
According to Marca, Mbappe's desire is clear. While he has no intentions of leaving the French capital on bad terms by forcing an exit, the 2018 World Cup is determined to join Real Madrid, be it this summer or on a Bosman transfer come the summer of 2022.
Signing a new contract in order to protect his market value while agreeing on a clause that would ensure him a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, should Los Blancos come calling, would be the perfect solution. Kylian, who is currently on holiday after his disappointing Euro 2020 campaign, has this in mind and has thus reportedly asked for an exit clause to be included in any new contract in order to protect his wish of one day donning the Merengues shirt.
However, Les Parisiens will not accept such demands, or more accurately, cannot abide by the 22-year-old's wishes. The reason is simple: under article 202 of the French Professional Football League, French clubs are banned from including exit clauses in contracts.
This means a gentleman's agreement with the PSG higher-ups is Mbappe's only route, but this would be risky. While the former Monaco sensation enjoys a great relationship with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, a gentleman's agreement is not as binding as one on pen and paper, meaning the Qatari executive could always go back on his word.
He has never shied away from admitting his desire to keep the Frenchman in the French capital, hence the risk in handing the club president all the power. Al-Khelaifi publicly stated not too long ago that there is no better project in European football than the one currently underway at the Parc des Princes, with the Ligue 1 side investing heavily in their bid to dominate the domestic and continental leagues.
Georginio Wijnaldum recently signed for Pochettino's side on a free transfer while Achraf Hakimi and Gianluigi Donnarumma are expected to team up with Mbappe and Co. soon. However, with Kylian refusing to sign an extension and Real Madrid being unable to meet the player's valuation due to the financial difficulties brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic, the odds of the World Cup winner leaving for free next summer grows by the day.
